Starbucks UK plans to hire 7,500 new baristas over the next five years, focusing on the Midlands, northern England, Wales and Scotland.

The staff will work in 500 new coffee shops the chain hopes to open across the country by 2031.

Starbucks already employs more than 18,000 people in the UK. If every role is filled, that rises to above 25,000.

Last year it shut dozens of underperforming UK outlets as part of a $1 billion global restructuring under chief executive Brian Niccol.

UK boss Darren King says the company wants to make entry-level roles as accessible as possible for young people.

It has not said how many of the jobs will be full time and how many part time.

The plan comes as costs rise. The UK national minimum wage goes up by 3.9 percent in April.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, welcomed the investment.

Read the full Starbucks UK hiring story on Trends News Stories.

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